Originally Posted by Tom Campitelli
I became a personal trainer at the YMCA in East Lansing, MI in 2006. I had coached and taught hockey for years prior to that. I earned an ACE Personal Training cert to get my first job at the Y. At the time it helped me brush up on basic anatomy, human bio, physiology, and exercise phys stuff. I always had clients do the big lifts back when I was a pin setter and ultramarathon, but I certainly had no idea how to perform, much less coach the lifts properly.
Fast forward 2010, I decide to quit my full-time job to open a 600 square foot training studio with a power rack, a bar, and plates. Before I opened I blew my back out picking up a sock in my son's nursery and was laid up on the coach for a week unable to walk. While laid up I read the Dan Duane article and discovered Starting Strength. I decided I should probably read the book, so I ordered the 2nd edition.
As soon as I picked it up I couldn't put it down. I was fired up. I read it and re-read it many, many times. I starting coaching my new clients immediately on what I was learning. It helped that I had just opened my own private facility and could do whatever I wanted. I ran the program myself. In my free time (which I had a lot more of back in those days) I read the book, all the articles, everything on Rip's Q and A, and whatever else I could get my hands on.
After a year flew down to WFAC to take seminar in June, 2012. It was the famous Rachel Crass seminar. Jordan Feigenbaum was there too. He passed, I failed miserably. That guy really annoys me
Went home butt hurt and thought about maybe just doing my own thing instead. Luckily I came to my senses. I started re-reading the book and applying what all the coaches yelled at me about during the seminar. I coached A LOT. Re-taught everyone that I previously coached incorrectly. I watched videos, studied more, and went to a training camp. I also watched 'The Coaching Eye' video by Stef a few times.
The next year in June of 2013 flew down to WFAC and passed the platform. Wrote the essay and passed that as well.
I have learned a lot from my experience. I have mentored several others who went on to earn their SSC's or are in the process of preparing to do so.
You need to coach a lot of people and spend a lot of time under the bar. It is tough to get all the coaching experience necessary, but you have to find a way. I opened a 600 foot place BEFORE I EVEN READ THE BOOK and it has worked out pretty well for me.
You must run the program yourself and get stronger. Get coaching feedback on your lifts. Find out if you are doing things right or not.
Read that article Rip posted this week about academic prep. That tells a lot of the story, but reading and studying is just one part of it. You need to actually coach a lot of real people in the real world, and they need to be from a variety of different backgrounds. You need to coach old, fat people and hot, yoga-type, overly flexible younger women. You also need to coach football players who are athletic and wambats who are movement-challenged. Coaching a variety of different people will teach you a lot.
You need to train your eye to look for deviations from the model and figure out how to fix them quickly.
There are a LOT of people who need to learn this stuff. Start convincing them to lift and coach them. Start with friends and family, and maybe the guy at the gas station or the waitress at breakfast. If you can't get people to let you coach them for free than you have no business becoming a professional coach. Part of the process is being able to influence others. If you can't do it than stay out of the coaching business. Stick with delivering pizzas.
If you are serious I would make it a priority to sign up for a training camp, visit a SS Gym, and/or work with a SSC. It would be smart to do all three. And attend a seminar. The more you do to prepare the better.
